Chilli chicken BLT
by Ross Dobson
Serves 4
Firepit chicken is a great new spin on the old bacon, lettuce and tomato BLT – perfect for a winter morning brunch or camping supper. You can make the chilli marinade the day before and leave the chicken in it overnight to gather flavour.
You’ll need
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 2 large red chillies, seeded and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 handful flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 rashers streaky bacon
- 4 soft bread rolls
- Mayonnaise, to serve
- 2 large handfuls baby rocket (arugula)
- 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
Method
Lay the chicken on a clean chopping board. Gently press the palm of your hand on the chicken and use a sharp knife to slice it horizontally into 2 thinner pieces. Put into a bowl.
Combine the chillies, garlic and parsley in a small food processor. Add the olive oil and whiz until the mixture is finely chopped and flecked through the oil. Tip into the bowl with the chicken and toss together with your hands. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Just before cooking, wrap each chicken breast in a rasher of bacon.
Your firepit is ready to cook on after about 2 hours of burning, when the timber is charcoal black, has transformed into red hot coals about the size of golf balls, and the smoke has all but subsided. To test for heat, you should not be able to hold the palm of your hand 5–10 cm (2–4 inches) above the grill for more than 2–3 seconds. Replace the grill over the firepit and give it around 10 minutes to heat up. (See page 9.)
Lay the chicken on the grill and cook for 8 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 4–5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon done.
Serve the chicken on rolls spread with mayonnaise and topped with rocket and tomato.
Images and text from Firepit Barbecue by Ross Dobson, photography by Alan Benson, Murdoch Books RRP $35.00.’
